\ 


l \ 


UOP/',?/ 

T 

■ , 

■ 0 


SPECIAL  REPORTS  AND  COMMUNICATIONS 


TO  THE  MICHIGAN 

STATE  BOARD  OF  HEALTH, 

RELATIVE  TO 

Communicable  and  Preventable  Diseases. 


[Reprinted  from  the  Sixth  Annual  Report  of  the  Michigan  State  Board  of  Health, 

for  the  year  1878.1 


\ 


SPECIAL  REPORTS  AND  COMMUNICATIONS  TO  THIS  BOARD. 

Daring  the  year,  communications  have  been  received  from  health  officers, 
from  regular  correspondents,  and  from  others,  containing  valuable  statements 
of  facts  and  important  considerations,  bearing  upon  different  subjects  con- 
nected with  public  health.  Some  of  them  have  been  referred  to  the  different 
committees  of  the  Board,  and  appear  in  other  parts  of  this  volume ; some 
have  been  referred  to  the  Secretary,  with  authority  to  publish ; while  time  has 
not  been  found,  during  the  limited  sessions  of  the  Board,  to  present,  at  length, 
all  communications  of  this  class  that  have  been  received.  A report  of  the 
work  of  the  Board  would  not  be  complete  without  some  mention  of  these  com- 
munications, and  a few  of  those  not  otherwise  disposed  of  are  believed  to  be 
of  such  value  as  to  make  it  desirable  that  they  be  included  herewith.  Those 
selected  for  publication  are  the  following : 

CASES  OF  TYPHOID  FEVER  ATTRIBUTED  TO  EMANATIONS  FROM  AN  IMPERFECT  DRAIN, — 

REPORT  MADE  BY  JAMES  HUESTON,  M.  D.,  TO  DR.  J.  M.  SWIFT,  HEALTH  OFFICER  OF 

NORTHVILLE,  AND  BY  HIM  TRANSMITTED  TO  THIS  BOARD. 

Dear  Doctor:— In  compliance  with  the  law  for  reporting  cases  endangering  pub- 
lic health,  I might  report  some  cases  of  diphtheria,  scarlet  fever,  and  typhoid  fever, 
hut  none  under  unusual  circumstances,  or  in  which  my  report  would  differ  from  hun- 
dreds of  others,  excepting  the  cases  of  typhoid  fever  occurring  in  one  family  where 
the  local  causes  were  or  seem  to  be  poison  emanating  from  an  imperfect  drain. 

Eight  feet  from  a new  house  a hole  was  dug  and  filled  with  small  stones;  a ditch, 
also  filled  with  small  stones,  inclosing  a five-inch  tile  not  below  freezing  depth,  led 
from  this  to  the  house.  This  communicated  to  the  kitchen  by  means  of  an  open  box 
leading  through  the  floor,  and  thence  through  the  side  wall. 

Last  winter  the  contents  of  this  drain  were  entirely  frozen,  and  slops  of  all  kinds 
were  thrown  in,  filling  the  parts  above  stone,  tile,  and  all.  In  the  spring  when  the 
frost  was  out,  it  did  not  clear  itself;  and  ©n  the  whole  being  removed,  the  tile  and 
spaces  were  found  filled  withfilth  andrichwith  fever-producing  poison, — but  discovered 
too  late,  as  it  had  nearly  cost  the  life  of  every  member  of  the  household:  First, 
Rev.  G.  A.,  wife,  and  son;  next, Prof.  K.,  a music  teacher;  then  a strong  woman  who 
was  placed  in  the  kitchen  to  do  housework;  and  after  her  a more  delicate  woman 
who  took  her  place,— each  in  turn  falling  victims,  all  having  marked  symptoms  of 
typhoid  fever  of  a very  low  type.  None  of  them  entirely  recovered  until  they  left 
the  house.  These,  and  similar  cases,  seem  to  teach  that  a law  compelling  every 
builder  to  call  a competent  health  officer  to  decide  how  the  drains,  cesspools,  etc., 
should  be  located  would  be  as  rational  as  to  report  after  the  victims  are  slain. 

Northville , Jan.  24 , 1878.  JAMES  HUESTON. 


V 


/ 


lx  STATE  BOARD  OF  HEALTH— EEPOKT  OF  SECRETAKY,  1878. 


CASES  OF  SICKNESS  AND  DEATH  ATTRIBUTED  TO  USE  OF  WATER  CONTAMINATED  BY 
LEAKAGE  FROM  A SLOPDRAIN,  REPORTED  BY  GEORGE  CHAPMAN,  M.  D.,  HUDSON, 
MICH. 

Secretary  State  Board  of  Health: 

Sir: — Enclosed  find  a hastily  written  history  of  facts  respecting  cases  of  paludal  or 
malarial  poison.  It  adds  another  example  to  the  records  of  carelessness  and  ignor- 
ance. Our  people  are  waking  up  to  the  subject;  they  are  clearing  out  the  gutters 
and  waste  places,  and  otherwise  trying  to  avoid  sickness. 

January  1, 1876,  at  3 o’clock  P.  M.,  I was  called  to  see  F.  B.  I learned  from  himself 
that  he  had  been  taken  the  day  previous,  about  dark,  with  a severe  chill;  had  had 
chills  and  fever,  with  profuse  sweating,  all  night;  had  taken  six  Cheeseman’s  pills 
and  10  grains  sulphate  of  quinine.  The  pills  had  “operated  most  too  much.”  I found 
him  in  a bad  condition, — pulse  full  and  bounding  at  SO;  extremities  cool;  head  hot 
and  feeling  as  though  it  would  burst;  face  flushed;  eyes  bloodshot;  tongue  covered 
with  white  fur,  and  dry;  he  had  a feeling  of  tightness  in  the  chest.  I diagnosed 
paludal  poison,  and  treated  accordingly;  but  all  to  no  purpose.  He  died  on  the  4th 
day.  Mr.  B.  was  a merchant,  apparently  a stout,  healthy  man;  his  height  was 
5%  ft.;  weight,  180  lbs.;  age,  35  years.  He  was  very  temperate  and  moral;  always  at 
home  or  at  store;  ate  regularly  and  heartily;  was  early  to  bed  and  earl y to  rise; 
bathed  often.  He  drank  cold  water  only,  of  which  “his  well  furnished  the" best  and 
most  of  any  in  town.”  I inclose  a rough  sketch  of  the  premises. 

Outline  of  premises  of  F.  B.  B.,  Hudson,  Mich. 


Street. 


Parlor. 

Family 

Bed-room. 

Sitting-Room. 

Pantry. 

| Sink. 

Kitchen. 


Wood. 


Plank  Drain,  1 foot  square. 


W 

' O 
Well. 


Barn. 

* Waste  water,  etc.,  from  the  sink, 
t Drain  for  waste  water  from  well. 

Mrs.  B.,  a stout  woman  aged  33  years,  was  sick  with  the  same'fever,  in  milder  form, 
at  the  time  I was  called;  but  was  soon  convalescent.  The  shock  produced  by  the 
death  of  her  husband  induced  brain  fever,  and  she  died  in  4 days. 

Of  the  children,  one  young  ladj%  aged  17  years,  had  been  puny  and  sick  with  “liver 
complaint”  nearly  a year;  two  others,  aged  9 and  5,  were  sick  most  of  the  time  with 


SPECIAL  REPORTS  AND  COMMUNICATIONS. 


lxi 


ague  and  “bilious  colic.”  But  on  removal  from  the  premises,  all  recovered  and  are 
now  healthy  and  strong. 

The  September  previous  B.  brought  a fine  parrot  from  Chicago.  It  was  taken  sick;; 
had  chills  and  all  the  symptoms  of  malarial  fever.  A canary  bird,  also,  was  taken 
sick  with  the  same  fever;  but  on  removal  to  a neighbor’s,  both  recovered  afid  were 
happy. 

Mrs.  B.  was  a pattern  of  neatness  and  boasted  sanitary  hygiene.  She  bathed  often, 
aired  the  house  well,  had  thermometers  around  to  keep  the  temperature  even  day 
and  night,  always  had  windows  dropped  from  the  top,  especially  the  one  in  the  fam- 
ily bed-room. 

The  drain,  shown  in  the  diagram,  was  built  two  years  previously  to  the  fatal  sick- 
ness; but  the  summer  previous,  Mr.  B.  had  noticed  that  the  slops  and  waste-water, 
which  were  all  poured  out  of  the  sink,  were  not  running  otf  but  were  soaking  into 
the  ground,  a gravelly  soil,  the  drain  being  filled  up;  and  he  was  going  to  fix  it  in 
the  spring. 

The  family  were  broken  up;  and  another  family  wishing  to  move  in,  I told  them 
they  must  not  till  a thorough  examination  was  made  of  well,  drains,  etc.  On  at- 
tempting to  pump  the  water  out  of  the  well,  which  was  10  feet  deep  in  a 30-foot  well,, 
they  soon  found  out  that  they  were  making  no  headway.  They  took  up  the  drain 
leading  from  the  well  to  the  street,  and  so  great  was  the  stench  that  the  men  were 
all  sick.  A current  was  found  leading  down  from  the  drain  directly  into  the  well,  at 
a considerable  depth  from  the  surface.  Under  the  woodhouse  and  kitchen  beautiful 
mold  and  dampness  covered  the  ground  and  walls  like  frost.  We  had  the  whole 
premises  renovated,  and  there  has  been  no  sickness  of  that  sort  in  or  around  the 
neighborhood  since. 

Yours  respectfully, 

Hudson , Lenawee  Co .,  April  11, 1878.  GEORGE  CHAPMAN. 

October  19,  18??,  the  board  of  health  of  Homer  township,  Calhoun  county, — 
A.  M.  Allen,  Health  Officer, — reported  an  instance  of  apparent  communication 
of  typhoid  fever  by  the  person  of  one  sick  with  it,  as  follows : 

“John  Windover,  aged  23,  died  of  typhoid  fever,  October  19,  1877.  The  source  of 
contagion  was  bad  water.  He  was  removed  to  his  father’s  residence,  and  three  more 
of  his  father’s  family  were  taken  sick  with  the  same  disease  and  recovered  after  a 
long  spell  of  sickness.” 

August  16,  18??,  Dr.  John  Tatman,  Health  Officer  of  Muskegon,  wrote: 

“Our  healthfulness  the  last  few  years  we  attribute  to  the  water  in  the  lake  and 
river  keeping  up  high  through  the  season.  If  the  weather  continues  dry  through 
this  month  and  September,  we  will  have  a great  amount  of  malarious  diseases,  as  the 
lake  is  one  foot  lower  now  than  for  the  last  few  years.” 

November  5,  187?,  Dr.  Tatman  wrote: 

“We  have  had  very  little  sickness  here  the  last  few  years,  in  comparison  with 
former  years;  we  have  had  no  epidemics,  or  contagious  diseases,  this  summer;  we 
have  had  a few  mild  cases,  perhaps  one  hundred  all  told,  of  malarious  fevers,  inter- 
mittent, that  were  easily  subdued  by  treatment.” 

OUTBREAK  OF  SMALL-POX  IN  LE  ROY,  INGHAM  COUNTY;  REPORTED  BY  R.  B.  SMITH,. 

M.  D.,  HEALTH  OFFICER. 

Secretary  of  the  State  Board  of  Health : 

Dear  Sir: — Below  you  will  please  find  report  of  seven  cases  of  variola  in  this- 
vicinity  during  the  month  of  June. 

The  first  case  was  that  of  Chauncy  Beckwith,  aged  18  years.  He  had  been  at  work 
on  a gravel  train,  a couple  of  weeks,  at  Portland,  Mich.  He  came  home  June  1,  and 
was  taken  sick  immediately. 

As  soon  as  we  ascertained  that  we  had  small-pox  to  contend  with  we  vaccinated 
the  rest  of  the  family,  but  too  late  to  prevent  their  contracting  the  disease;  I also 
at  once  notified  the  township  clerk,  who  called  a meeting  of  the  board  of  health  to- 


Ixii  STATE  BOARD  OF  HEALTH— REPORT  OF  SECRETARY,  1878. 


to  take  some  action  in  regard  to  the  matter.  A house  about  three-fourths  of  a mile 
from  the  village  was  procured,  which  was  converted  into  a pest-house,  where  we 
removed  the  patients  as  fast  as  they  were  taken  sick,  and  also  the  clothing  and  fur- 
niture belonging  to  them.  Notices  were  posted  on  both  houses,  and  at  some  dis- 
tance from  them,  and  all  persons  not  needed  for  nurses  were  forbidden  to  enter  into 
or  go  near  either  house.  Before  we  were  aware  of  the  nature  of  the  disease,  there 
were  a number  of  exposures  to  the  contagion,  and  they  were  also  notified  to  remain 
on  their  own  premises  for  the  period  of  twenty  days.  There  has  been  no  case  of  the 
disease,  however,  outside  of  the  family  where  it  first  broke  out;  and  we  hope  that  by 
using  care  in  renovating  and  disinfecting  the  house  and  contents,  and  by  keeping 
the  persons  who  have  had  the  disease  at  a proper  distance,  for  a couple  of  weeks  yet, 
to  prevent  any  further  spread  of  the  disease  in  this  vicinity.  Any  information  that 
you  may  be  able  to  give  us  in  regard  to  thorough  disinfection  will  be  thankfully 
received. 

Yours,  very  respectfully, 

Le  Roy,  Ingham  Co .,  June  10, 1878.  R.  B.  SMITH,  M.  D., 

Health  Officer. 

June  6,  1878,  William  Simonds,  M.  D.,  Health  Officer  of  Warren  township, 
Macomb  county,  reported  details  of  23  cases  of  small-pox,  occurring  from 
February  1 to  May  14,  1877.  In  some  of  the  cases  the  disease  was  derived 
from  clothing  from  the  city ; in  some,  from  the  paper-mill.  Of  the  23  cases, 
7 died. 


OUTBREAKS  OF  SCARLET  FEVER. 

November  12,  1877,  Dr.  Wm.  P.  Maiden,  of  Alpena,  wrote,  concerning  an 
outbreak  of  scarlet  fever : 

“The  house  was  well  disinfected  with  sulphurous  acid,  and  was  daily  ventilated. 
Every  precaution  was  used  by  myself  and  the  family  to  prevent  the  spread  of  the 
disease,  and  I trust  we  have  succeeded.” 

In  December,  1877,  L.  D.  Knowles,  M.  D.,  Health  Officer  of  Pine  drove 
township,  Van  Buren  county,  reported  details  of  14  cases  of  scarlet  fever, 
occurring  from  July  23  to  September  27,  1877.  The  disease  was  introduced 
by  some  one  who  had  been  visiting  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State. 

AN  OUTBREAK  OF  SCARLET  FEVER  IN  MICHIGAMME  TOWNSHIP,  MARQUETTE  COUNTY. 

AND  STATEMENT  OF  MEASURES  TAKEN  BY  THE  LOCAL  BOARD  OF  HEALTH  FOR 

THE  RESTRICTION  OF  THE  DISEASE,  REPORTED  BY  JOHN  R.  CURLEY,  CLERK. 

Secretary  State  Board  of  Health : 

Dear  Sir:— I herewith  report  to  you  the  occurrence  of  scarlet  fever  in  this  town- 
ship, and  the  methods  we  have  taken  to  check  the  spread  of  the  disease.  The  first 
case  reported  to  me  was  the  child  James  Hayes,  aged  about  five  years.  It  was 
reported  on  the  10th  day  of  June,  by  Dr.  Jos.  Vandeventer,  health  officer  of  the 
township,  as  a mild  case  of  scarlet  fever.  On  the  12th,  another  case  was  reported, 
the  child  of  Richard  Hackett.  I asked  the  doctor  to  examine  the  locality  and  report 
if  any  thing  could  be  done  by  the  board.  He  did  so,  and  reported  that  the  locality 
was  good  in  regard  to  sanitary  condition,  and  that  the  children  reported  above  were 
convalescing.  So  the  matter  stood  until  the  morning  of  the  ISth,  when  another  case 
was  reported,  that  of  Ann  Dolan,  10  years  old,  who  died  this  morning.  To-day  two 
more  cases  are  reported;  one  in  the  family  of  Cornelius  Shea,  and  one  in  the  family 
of  John  Shea.  On  hearing  of  these  new  cases,  I immediately  called  our  board  of 
health  in  session  to  devise  some  means  to  stop  the  spread  of  the  disease.  We  have 
had  notices  printed,  of  which  I send  you  a copy,  besides  posting  notices  of  the  dis- 
ease over  the  doors  of  the  affected  buildings.  We  have  also  caused  all  dogs  to  be 
tied  up,  under  penalty  of  being  shot.  We  have  also  closed  our  schools.  It  seems  to 
me  that  the  disease  is  now  at  its  height.  If  there  is  any  suggestion  you  can  give  us 
in  regard  to  the  restriction  of  the  disease,  it  will  be  thankfully  received  and  acted 
upon.  Respectfully  yours, 

Michigamme,  Marquette  Co.,  June  20, 1878.  JOHN  R.  CURLEY, 

Clerk  of  Board  of  Health. 


SPECIAL  EE  PORTS  AND  COMMUNICATIONS. 


Ixiii 


Copies  of  the  document  issued  by  this  Board  on  the  Restriction  and  Preven- 
tion of  Scarlet  Fever  (pages  xxix-xxxii  of  the  Fifth  Annual  Report)  and  of 
Circulars  25  and  28  (pages  xxiii.-xxxiii.  of  this  Report),  and  also  a caution  as 
to  the  dissemination  of  the  disease  by  clothing  of  patients  after  their  recovery, 
were  immediately  sent  to  Mr.  Curley. 

June  25,  1878,  Mr.  Curley  wrote  : — 

“ Dear  Sir  Yours  of  the  22d  is  at  hand ; thanks  for  promptness.  The  scarlet  fever 
epidemic  has  not  abated  yet,  but  we  have  managed  to  confine  it  to  one  locality.  A 
death  took  place  Saturday,  June  22,  a child  of  John  Harrington,  aged  10  years,  sick 
three  days.  As  I am  now  writing  this,  the  health  officer,  Dr.  Yandeventer,  just 
informs  me  that  another  death  has  taken  place  in  the  same  familjq  a girl  aged  9 
years.  We  have  taken  steps  this  evening  to  rent  a house  in  an  isolated  part  of  the 
village,  and  remove  the  remainder  of  the  family  into  it.  The  citizens  have  given 
by  private  subscription  enough  to  procure  changes  of  clothes  for  the  entire  family, 
which  consists  yet  of  9 persons.  We  have  given  orders  to  have  all  the  bedding  and 
clothes  of  the  infected  house  burned,  and  we  also  prohibit  children  from  going 
within  a radius  of  300  feet  of  the  infected  locality.  The  other  cases  mentioned  in 
my  last  letter  are  convalescing  and  in  a fair  way  to  recover. 

“I  shall  keep  you  fully  posted  as  to  our  movements.  We  are  so  fortunate  as  to 
have  for  our  health  officer  an  efficient  and  skillful  physician,  Dr.  Jos.  Yandeventer, 
to  whose  untiring  energy  we  are  greatly  indebted.  I should  like  to  be  informed 
whether  in  a case  like  ours  it  does  not  become  a county  charge  for  the  expense 
incurred,  as  we  have  no  fund  in  our  township  that  applies  to  that  purpose.  Please 
give  us  your  advice  on  this  subject.  We  are  determined  to  root  out  the  disease, 
though,  no  matter  who  pays  for  it. 

Respectfully  yours, 

Michigamme,  June  25, 1878.  ~ JOHN  R.  CURLEY, 

Clerk  of  Board  of  Healthy 

In  reply  to  the  above  inquiry,  a copy  of  the  compilation  of  Public  Health 
Laws  and  a copy  of  the  compilation  of  Laws  Relating  to  the  Support  of  Poor 
Persons  were  obtained  from  the  State  Department  and  sent. 

June  29,  1878,  Mr.  Curley  wrote:  “I  am  happy  to  inform  you  that  the 
scarlet  fever  has  abated,  as  there  is  no  new  case.” 

PERIOD  OF  INCUBATION  IN  DIPHTHERIA. 

Referring  to  the  outbreak  of  diphtheria  in  Clarkston,  reported  by  him 
(pages  81-83),  Dr.  J.  S.  Caulkins  of  Thornville,  wrote,  Oct.  6,  1878 : 

“Notice  the  strong  probability  that  in  Keillor’s  case  (mentioned  on  page  83),  the 
incubatory  stage  was  but  -24  hours.  There  are  several  good  physicians  at  Oxford, 
and  at  Orion,  three  miles  south,  careful  inquiry  among  whom  shows  no  other  even 
remotely  probable  source  of  the  infection.  The  inference  is  irresistible  that  he 
caught  the  disease  at  Bailey’s.” 


